Broadcast Film Critics Name Nominees

The Broadcast Film Critics Association yesterday released its list of nominees for the 2002 Critics’ Choice Awards. Ice Age, Lilo & Stitch, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron and Spirited Away will all compete for the distinction of Best Animated Feature. Last year, the BFCA was on the same page with Oscar in picking Shrek as the winner.

The most notable development in this year’s competition is the addition of a new category, Best Digital Acting Performance. With CG characters playing more integrated and central roles in films these days, it’s getting harder for awards committees to dismiss them as merely special effects, especially with Andy Serkis’ performance as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers generating Oscar buzz.

Rather than singling out the actor who provided the voice, and in some cases the acting template, the Broadcast Film Critics also appear to be considering the digital artists involved by naming the respective characters as nominees. Gollum will be going up against Dobby from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Yoda from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the only effects-heavy film in the running for Best Picture. It will be competing with About Schmidt, Adaptation, Catch Me If You Can, Chicago, Far From Heaven, Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Pianist and Road to Perdition.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is in the short list for Best Family Film (Live-Action), along with two Disney offerings, The Rookie and Tuck Everlasting.

Paul Simon’s Father and Daughter from The Wild Thornberrys Movie has been nominated for Best Song. The other nominees are Chad Kroeger’s Hero from Spider-Man and Eminem’s Lose Yourself from 8 Mile.

The Critics’ Choice Awards will be presented at the BFCA’s annual awards ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel on January 17. E! Entertainment Television will broadcast the event on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 18. See the complete list of nominees at www.bfca.org/criticschoiceawards.asp.